Why Not to Buy Adobe Software on eBay, Craigslist or Amazon Mkt
February 18th, 2020 313 comments
[IMPORTANT NOTE – Adobe stopped selling CS6 entirely several years ago – here’s why… So the CS products are not being made by the company, nor legitimately for sale through any channel in any country, from any vendor or reseller.]
Some folks think it might be a good idea to try to save a few bucks and buy Adobe software off of eBay, Craigslist, Amazon Marketplace, or from any vendor or seller who is unfamiliar. It could be Creative Cloud, CS6, Photoshop, Lightroom, Acrobat, Elements, or any other title – in a retail, student, full or upgrade version… or sometimes it’s the “OEM” scam, or the plausible-sounding “extra” volume/enterprise license swindle, or an illegal black or “gray market” import.
But it’s actually not a very good idea at all. Why?
The first problem is that Adobe does not recognize these venues as valid or authorized resellers, they are fully disregarded and invalid. So as a result, Adobe will not officially recognize any of those buyers as actually owning their software. Yes, you read that right.
Meaning, you think you own the genuine article but effectively you don’t. You cannot provide an accepted proof of purchase – so you can’t formally prove you own the products. You may not be able to transfer the software to someone else, nor be able to get product support or upgrade to the next version, etc… You also aren’t able to return the software to get your money back from Adobe like you normally can.
How to Save 70% with the New Adobe CC Student/Teacher Editions
February 11th, 2020 141 comments
Let’s face it, Adobe’s traditional product prices seemed expensive over the years, especially if you’re on a student’s budget. The last perpetual version available, Creative Suite 6 from 2012, historically had full prices ranging from $399 for Dreamweaver through $999 for Photoshop Extended and on up to $2,599 upfront for the Master Collection suite, which contained all CS6 applications. As cool and powerful as this software was, it’s hard to afford when you’re in school – even after the student/teacher discount.
Adobe stopped selling CS6 several years ago, as the version reached EOL and end of support – but fortunately the company still offers deep discounts for education customers on the latest CC release. A few years ago, in fact, they increased the discount on Creative Cloud to up to 70% off the regular prices. And while there are a lot of misconceptions about CC, the main products like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, etc., still download and run on your desktop as normal.
The Greatest Hits: Our Most Popular Adobe Posts & Tips of All Time
January 7th, 2020 259 comments
With one year wrapped up and a new one just beginning, it seemed a perfect time to put together a review of the best and most-shared posts published here since our site launched in 2009 (over 10 years ago now!), including some very popular free books.
These are the top posts that consistently have the highest readership on our site, month after month, covering all major Adobe software products… They’re broken out by topic below in case you’ve missed any, or are new here – so bookmark, share, and enjoy!
Free Adobe Books
- Download Adobe CC Design Basics, Free! New 243-Page Book
- Two Free Books! Get the Lightroom Quick Start Guides (134 Pgs)
- Learn Animate Free – Download 59-Page Guidebook + Assets
- Download Now: The InDesign New Features Guidebook
- Learn Adobe Dreamweaver CC + CS6 – Download 79-Page Book
- Free! Download 30 Adobe Books at No Cost, Learn All Products
How to Get New Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 Direct Download Links
December 18th, 2019 119 comments
For decades now, Adobe has provided industry-standard standalone installers for their creative products, for many valid reasons… Recent examples include the company publicly posting the direct download links for virtually the entire CC 2019 and CC 2018 releases. In our view, the need is strong and they should continue to do the same going forward.
Update on New Adobe CC 2020 Direct Download Links
November 4th, 2019 138 comments
Every year, Adobe’s creative product launches seem to get bigger – and this year is no exception… This morning, in front of a record 15,000 attendees at the annual MAX conference, Adobe unveiled the new CC 2020 Release, which feels like their biggest product launch since they first introduced Creative Cloud over seven years ago.
What’s Included with Your Free Creative Cloud Membership
October 29th, 2019 114 comments
Having originally launched almost eight years ago, by now you’ve heard about Adobe’s fast-growing Creative Cloud, you’ve dispelled the common myths about it, and perhaps are considering subscribing to CC now that over 18 million of your colleagues already have…
You probably also know that Adobe stopped development of the older “CS” releases back in 2012, and that there have been thousands of new product features, enhancements, and performance improvements added to CC since Creative Suite ended, as well as integral new services.
But did you know that no matter what you do, you can sign up right now for a zero-cost class of membership that never expires and provides free benefits for life? Anyone can have this free level currently in 83 countries worldwide, even if you still use the older tools instead, or even if you use no other Adobe products or services at all.
Adobe Photoshop/Premiere Elements 2020 Direct Download Links
October 22nd, 2019 Leave a comment
A short while ago, Adobe shipped version 2020 of Adobe’s “Elements” line – and since Elements releases are now named by the upcoming year instead of a version number, this edition would be the equivalent of version 18 in the previous numbering system.
And continuing our tradition of publishing the direct download links for major Adobe products such as Creative Cloud, Lightroom 6/CC, and Acrobat DC, below you’ll find the direct links from Adobe’s servers for the free trials and full offline installers for the new releases of Photoshop Elements 2020 and Premiere Elements 2020, for both Windows and macOS.
Are Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) Files Backwards Compatible w/ CS6?
October 15th, 2019 90 comments
Now that the Adobe CC release has become ubiquitous with over 18 million paid customers, some folks are asking us whether the new versions of the tools in the Creative Cloud can read or save older data/document/project file formats like CS6, CS5.5, CS5, CS4 & CS3…
In fact, since Adobe’s flagship creative toolset CC 2019 is now seven major releases past CS6 from 2012 (which they no longer sell), file version compatibility can sometimes be an important decision point in moving forward.
In the past, new Adobe product versions have often brought different or expanded file formats to support significant new features – and customers want to know if their existing projects will easily carry forward with them when they upgrade, or if they will be able to save back to older formats for coworkers or clients who may still be running an earlier revision of the programs…
OK then, here’s how it works. Generally, your new CC tools will be able to open and use any and all earlier CS project and data files – including CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, and CS6 files – with no problem or loss of information. In other words, all Adobe software is able to read or import file formats from previous versions of the same program – and it should happen seamlessly and automatically. The only exception to this is Premiere Pro, where it’s best to open/edit projects in the same versions that created them.
How to Work 10X Faster with Adobe Stock and CC Libraries
September 16th, 2019 2 comments
Ask any creative about the favorite part of their job, and it’s unlikely someone will answer “the mundane tasks.” Things like adapting a single element across hundreds (if not thousands) of assets, or going through the pains of re-working a previewed stock photo after attaining the license. And yet, those same tasks are all-too-often a habitual part of what creatives still do today – and something Adobe has worked to streamline through the capabilities in and the tight integration of Adobe Stock and Creative Cloud Libraries.
How to Transfer an Adobe Software License Between Two People
May 29th, 2019 48 comments
We’ve previously covered here how to transfer Adobe software products (like Creative Cloud, CS6, Photoshop, Lightroom, Elements, or Acrobat) between two computers, including from PC to Mac or vice versa. In this article we’re going to focus on transferring the actual legal license from one person or company to another, like transferring the title to a car or home between two people.
Moving the software physically is mostly a technical task, but doesn’t cover what happens if the recipient has problems, needs customer support or updates, wants to be registered with Adobe, and be recognized as the new rightful owner and user of the tools. To address those needs, you can follow the transfer process described below to “unregister” the program from the old owner and re-register for the new one.
